Goth Kids

My husband and I saw Scott Pilgrim last night. Enjoyed it quite a bit. It did make me miss my high school/college days when I used to wear all black and kept my look all dark and mysterious (I wouldn't say I was totally goth...I just leaned that way...heavily). The goth kids in South Park make me miss those days too (incidentally, the goth kids deserve a spin-off). Life was actually fairly easy when everything sucked, everything made you want to die, and everyday ended with a dark depressing journal entry with angsty poems and sad girls drawn in the margins. It didn't feel easy then, in fact, I remember feeling completely out of control, upset about that, and like I was doing the best I could. And that's how I felt after the goth period, and still now. The past few years the realization that things don't really change much has become stronger. The way the world interacts with us doesn't seem to change, we do. How we deal, think, treat others those things change. But, the same stuff still happens. Every time I'm in a job that has any sort of social element to it, I feel like I'm back in high school. I'm starting to think we need to expect more of high schoolers, because the way they interact socially seems to become the way they interact for life.

I didn't mean for this to be an "angsty" post. But I suppose it kind of went there (Still under the Scott Pilgrim influence?). Thoughts, comments, ideas?
--Renny

Auras, Healing, And Strength, OH MY!

Hello!

So, the past week has brought a lot of clarity. I've spent this summer doing extra learning (reading everything that interests me, studying topics, and practicing). A dear friend has been helping me by healing my Chakras with Reiki and it's really done so much to open me up. I feel much more connected to myself and I'm regaining some "lost arts" as it were. As I child I could see Auras and I'm starting to see them again. I also just feel stronger about myself and my life.

I feel this is very important as we move toward the fall and impending the Christmas/New Years, my deadline for coming out of the broom closet to my family. I know that by being stronger and having a healthier relationship with myself it will make the coming out of broom closet experience better; whether it goes well or badly. I'm truly grateful to be where I am and to be headed in the direction that I am. Thank you to everyone who is helping me. You're truly appreciated.

Chao,
Renny

Enjoying Life

My new mission is to enjoy the journey. I find that I'm so focused on my goals that I don't enjoy the process of achieving them, only obtaining them.

Short, but sweet.

Happy Lughnasadh!

Merry Lughnasadh everyone! My Lughnasadh celebrations were a lot of fun. Rose Hollow's ritual last night was great (and the food was fab, as usual) and then many of the Rose Hollow crew made it out to the COG Public Sabbats today. I really enjoyed the ritual, despite the heat. :-)

And...episode number 3 of Shhh! There Are Pagans in Texas was released last night! I had a lot of fun recording this one with Rose and we got to interview Janet & Charles of Wren's Nest Coven who are the writers of the Seekers Bill of Rights. It's a great document to help keep seekers safe as they travel their pagan path, I highly recommend perusing it.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe first harvest and that your future harvests come to full fruition.

Hooray! Intensive career training is over! I can go back to being a normal--well, kind of--person! The training is over, I have a few online courses to do this week, but I don't have to drive all over DFW anymore. I'm thrilled.

In other news, I decided to start using my mountain bike for good, rather than nothing. There are off-road trails near my house and I've set a goal to go out at least 3 days a week. I am really loving it. It's a great excuse to be out in nature and also to exercise.

We're recording episode 3 of Shhh! There Are Pagans in Texas! this week. :-)

SJ Tucker released her new album Mischief on the 16th of July. You can listen to the tracks through the website and it is a superb album, meeting and at times exceeding the SJ-legacy.

Chao for Now!

Blah

I've been feeling pretty unmotivated as of late. I'm finding it hard to make myself do much of anything...I'm attending an intensive career training right now (all day M-F) and it's taking a lot out of me. I'm just blah! Nothing new in my pagan-world either. I hope to bring you a spicier update soon.

Chao!
-Renny

Life updates and Mini-Book Review

Greetings!

First of all, life is largely good. :-) Last weekend I got my Aura portrait done at Power of the Rainbow (in Arlington, TX). I love it. :-) Also the second episode of Shhh! There Are Pagans in Texas is out! I really love doing these podcasts with Rose. She's so much fun, it's a blast!

And finally, I'd like to mention the book I finished this weekend: The Sin Eater's Last Confessions by Ross Heaven, Llewellyn 2008. It's a true story about Ross' childhood friendship with his English village's "Sin Eater". This friendship develops into an apprenticeship where Ross learns about herbs, philosophy, the nature of life/being, fairies, omens/divination, and of course what a Sin Eater is/does.

I don't love wikipedia, but here is what it has to say about a Sin Eater:

The term sin-eater refers to a person who, through ritual means, would take on by means of food and drink the sins of a deceased person, thus absolving his or her soul and allowing that person to rest in peace. In the study of folklore sin-eating is considered a form of religious magic.

This ritual is said to have been practised in parts of England and Scotland, and allegedly survived until modern times in Wales. Traditionally, it is performed by a beggar and certain villages maintained their own sin-eaters. They would be brought to the dying person's bedside, where a relative would place a crust of bread on the breast of the dying and pass a bowl of ale to him over the corpse. After praying or reciting the ritual, he would then drink and remove the bread from the breast and eat it, the act of which would remove the sin from the dying person and take it into himself.

Formally speaking, Sin Eating appears to have been primarily practiced in the British Isles; however, the book does reference similar (but not identical) rites/traditions practiced throughout Eastern and Western Europe. Though text books and many resources would inform you that Sin Eating Died out in the Early 20th Century (think 1920 or so), this book offers proof of a mid-century Sin Eater. It also briefly mentions that some believe it to be practiced even now in the US' Appalachian Mountain Region.

A Sin Eater does far more than just eat bread off of a dead or dying body and this book reveals the deeper meaning/action of that particular ritual and of the spirituality of this unique brand of British Shaman. It is a fascinating read, well and concisely written, chocked full of information and tidbits. The last portion of the book is a workbook; providing more detail on some the practices, meditations, and concoctions so that you may try them yourself.

I recommend this to anyone interested in History/Religion/Lore of the UK Region, Shamanism, Herbalism, Naturalism, Psychic Development, Fairies, Omens, and Death/Burial Practices.


Chao for now,
Renny